Volunteering with us is exciting, rewarding work

Are you a parent or do you have parenting experience?

Would you like to make a difference to the lives of young families living in Lambeth?

Can you spare a couple of hours each week to work with families?

STOP PRESS! The next volunteer preparation course will start on Friday 10 September from 9.30am - 2.30pm in our office in Brixton. It will run on eight consecutive Fridays (excluding one week for half term).

Contact us now for more information and an application form.

What kind of support would I be offering?

The main support offered by volunteers is befriending families by visiting them in their homes on a weekly basis. Volunteers will usually have parenting experience and give free emotional and practical help to any parent, with at least one child under five. By visiting a family in their own home and offering friendship, Home-Start volunteers represent a lifeline for many families who are finding it hard to cope. This could be for a variety of reasons such as post-natal illness, multiple births or disability of a child or parent.

Will I be the right sort of person to support a family?

Home-Start volunteers are all ages and from all walks of life. We don't ask for qualifications, just a commitment to the family you would be visiting, listening skills, understanding and discretion. You will be a parent yourself or have parenting experience. And have two to four hours to spare each week.

What would visiting a family involve?

You could spend time with a young parent, helping to build their confidence as they adapt to life with a small baby, or go to the park with a family who finds getting out of the house difficult. The visits might involve offering an extra pair of hands to a family with several children or providing a listening ear to a mother who is suffering from postnatal illness.

What will I gain from being a Home-Start volunteer?

You will be helping a family to cope with the pressures they are facing and make a real difference to the lives of parents and their children.
You will receive support and training to prepare you for all aspects of your role with Home-Start.
You will make new friends and have lots of fun.
You will develop new skills and have some good experience to add to your CV.
Out of pocket expenses will be paid.

What does the training involve?

It is very important to us that all volunteers receive adequate training before starting to work with families. All volunteers undertake a free high quality Preparation Course, over 40 hours, usually one day a week for eight weeks. The course is usually delivered during term time from 9.30am - 2.30pm. Each prospective volunteer is supplied with a volunteer resource file to work through each week. We may occasionally run courses in the evenings and weekends - call the office for more information.
The course will develop your skills, prepare you for things you may encounter as a Home-Start volunteer and help you to get to know the Home-Start staff team.

Are there any other volunteering opportunities?

Yes! We are also looking for volunteers to assist with our three Family Support Groups which run in Brixton, Vauxhall and Woodmansterne (Streatham Vale) Children's Centres. There may also be vacancies for volunteers to join our Board of Trustees, get involved in fundraising activities or help with administrative work in our office.

What support will I get as a volunteer?

Once a volunteer is matched with a family, you are not left on your own. Staff will keep in close contact - initially by telephone after the first couple of visits to the family, and then with regular one-to-one or group support sessions, so that if there are any difficulties or problems, they are picked up straight away. We also run volunteer socials and on-going training opportunities.